Dear South Carolina, One Great Game Doesn’t Make a Program

Stephen Garcia Plays Perfect Game to Beat Bama/Getty Images

Who would have thought “Stephen Garcia” and “perfect game” would be in the same sentence referring to the South Carolina QB playing anything beyond the realm of Old Maid or Super Mario Brothers? Probably no one.

So when the universe was perfectly aligned (or simply off kilter) for on Saturday afternoon, Garcia earned his 15 minutes of fame and the Gamecocks their 15 minutes of greatness in the shallow pool of their athletic lore by taking down the defending national champions and No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide.

After pulling off the monumental upset, they did all the requisite “we’ve-never-been-here-before” moves, like

Mark Ingram Rushes Into Crimson Tide History

Heisman Trophy an Emotional "Win" for Ingram, Bama/AP

Just when Bama fans didn’t think the season could get any better, it did. The second consecutive undefeated regular season ended—or rather began—with the Tide’s most complete and dominating performance in the SEC Championship Game the week before.

The grudge match against the Florida Gators was no doubt nothing short of circled on our collective calendars since the loss to the eventual national champion the year before. Getting back to Atlanta—and winning—meant a berth in the BCS National Championship Game. Check, check and check.

Had Nick Saban scribbled down a crude checklist of

Dear Kirby, Be Smart

Having the Smarts To Succeed/al.com

Kirby, your obvious flaw that you are a Georgia graduate aside, the Bama Nation loves you.

For three years as you’ve assembled an impressive defense ranking among the top of Division I football, you’ve won our hearts, and we can only hope we’ve won yours.

So, now, as the world is sitting up and taking notice of your coaching prowess, I ask you to, please, be smart.

Nowhere were your defensive smarts more evident this year than in the SEC Championship game. Of course, they were there all along, but don’t think they’ve gone unnoticed.

It’s just that that matchup between No. 1 and No. 2 drew some of

Tim Tebow’s Tears: “The Paul Finebaum Test”

Infamous Sports Radio Host Paul Finebaum

Ask anyone in Alabama, especially, who the most-hated person is, and they’ll likely tell you Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum, the often incendiary-comment-making sports radio host, is one of few things who can unite the state divided by Alabama and Auburn fans.

After Alabama’s big win over Florida in the SEC Championship game Saturday night, I wrote

The Tale of Tim Tebow’s Tears

Tebow Stunned by Bama, 32-13, Questions Whether He Can Walk on Water

Attention, worshippers. Services have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Please clean out your huts and prepare to return to the “real” world. Tebow-town is officially closed.

Just as Jim Jones could only serve up the Kool-Aid for so long to facilitate the blind faith of his followers, so, too, has it been proven the mild-altering concoction consumed by Tim Tebow’s congregation has turned sour.

Forget “The Promise.” Forget Superman. Forget all the stupid Tebowisms. And every other shred of

Blast From the Past: Bama-Florida 1999

Bama-Florida 1999: No Tickets To Witness 21st SEC Title

Sure, I entertained the thought of making the short trip to Atlanta to see the SEC Championship game the last two years.

But the closest I (almost) came to actually getting there was in 1999, and I enlisted a little help along the way.

A 9-2 regular season was good enough to get us to the Georgia Dome for a rematch against Florida.

About two months prior to the SEC Championship meeting, Alabama beat the Spurrier-coached Gators